so cold that i'm warm
Dear reader,
When 20 college freshmen gather on a freezing cold and windy beach in the darkness of a Sunday night, how can you not feel the glory, power, and presence of the King? I know I felt it - so much that I could barely keep from laughing out loud.
This week the Lord has taught me joy and contentment - but the kind of contentment that doesn't keep me from wanting to grow more. It is a contentment that has come from suffering and seeing the the Lord is victorious over all of these petty things that I worry about on a daily basis.
I have also learned not to keep people at arm's length anymore, that as Christians we are not called to flaunt our dirty laundry but to share our troubles and together rejoice that God is King over all of it and that He provides comfort, sometimes in the shape of five other broken, messed-up people.
I have figured out what I need to do and what I need to still learn - I have seen a change in the way that I think about things and while I still have thoughts that need a-fixin', God keeps showing me how to do that. My desires for certain things have been very self-centered and selfish for a long time (probably my whole life) and sometimes I brainwash myself into thinking that the reasons for my desires are good, while they are often very shady and confused.
I am tired and excited, dear reader. The next three years are going to be excellent, if the past weekend is any indicator of my future. But I also don't want to be limited to the kind of thinking that college is the peak of life - I am extraordinarily excited for the time after college when I am trying to find my calling in this world. I have too many plans and if none of those work out in favor of God's plan, I'm down with it. Right now I'm trying to reconcile my dream to move to Europe and dance with the desire to march right into a Middle Eastern tent with a bunch of Hamas leaders in it and speak to them about Jesus and the utter joy I would have in liberating child sex slaves in Thailand or child soldiers in Uganda.
If this weekend has taught me anything, it is the following:
1. Always be spontaneous and sometimes have a plan
2. Always be open, loving, accepting, and desiring to point others to the Lord before myself
3. Stop being selfish
4. Stop trying to impress others with the plastic, pretty version of myself
5. Relationships are everything and nothing
6. Stop having a wandering heart and instead have an all-encompassing one
7. Romantic love isn't everything, it's just a type of something that is partially fulfilling of that everything
8. Love the Lord your God with all of your MIND
9. Blogs are silly
Dear reader, please know that I love you and tell you this not in confidence, but in truth: the bond between us means everything to me, but sometimes it distracts me. That is my own fault - and this will change.
Until the world knows peace,
Meredith
Seek nothing but the Lord.
When 20 college freshmen gather on a freezing cold and windy beach in the darkness of a Sunday night, how can you not feel the glory, power, and presence of the King? I know I felt it - so much that I could barely keep from laughing out loud.
This week the Lord has taught me joy and contentment - but the kind of contentment that doesn't keep me from wanting to grow more. It is a contentment that has come from suffering and seeing the the Lord is victorious over all of these petty things that I worry about on a daily basis.
I have also learned not to keep people at arm's length anymore, that as Christians we are not called to flaunt our dirty laundry but to share our troubles and together rejoice that God is King over all of it and that He provides comfort, sometimes in the shape of five other broken, messed-up people.
I have figured out what I need to do and what I need to still learn - I have seen a change in the way that I think about things and while I still have thoughts that need a-fixin', God keeps showing me how to do that. My desires for certain things have been very self-centered and selfish for a long time (probably my whole life) and sometimes I brainwash myself into thinking that the reasons for my desires are good, while they are often very shady and confused.
I am tired and excited, dear reader. The next three years are going to be excellent, if the past weekend is any indicator of my future. But I also don't want to be limited to the kind of thinking that college is the peak of life - I am extraordinarily excited for the time after college when I am trying to find my calling in this world. I have too many plans and if none of those work out in favor of God's plan, I'm down with it. Right now I'm trying to reconcile my dream to move to Europe and dance with the desire to march right into a Middle Eastern tent with a bunch of Hamas leaders in it and speak to them about Jesus and the utter joy I would have in liberating child sex slaves in Thailand or child soldiers in Uganda.
If this weekend has taught me anything, it is the following:
1. Always be spontaneous and sometimes have a plan
2. Always be open, loving, accepting, and desiring to point others to the Lord before myself
3. Stop being selfish
4. Stop trying to impress others with the plastic, pretty version of myself
5. Relationships are everything and nothing
6. Stop having a wandering heart and instead have an all-encompassing one
7. Romantic love isn't everything, it's just a type of something that is partially fulfilling of that everything
8. Love the Lord your God with all of your MIND
9. Blogs are silly
Dear reader, please know that I love you and tell you this not in confidence, but in truth: the bond between us means everything to me, but sometimes it distracts me. That is my own fault - and this will change.
Until the world knows peace,
Meredith
Seek nothing but the Lord.
I like 5 and 9.
ReplyDeleteand I like when the wind blows so hard that a guitar threatens to fall out of my fingers, yet voices still ring.
you know the movie "Babe?"
the farmer always says in a loving, content voice "that'll do pig"
I don't know if it's accurate, but sometimes I feel like God says that to you and I (and the rest of them Jesus people). Is that weird?
Great night.
ReplyDeleteNah man, I totally agree. I don't hear it that often, but I feel like it's a common response.
I like 9.
ReplyDelete